Tengah Resident Shares The Reality Of Living There, Complains About Constant Construction Noise & Messy Rubbish Areas

A frustrated Tengah resident has turned to TikTok to “document the reality” of living in the new estate.

The account, Tengah Unfiltered, was created last week and features four videos. Its description reads: “Is it an HDB issue or a Tengah issue? You decide.”

A caption on the post further explains: “This account was created to document real everyday life in Tengah — beyond the nice, beautiful façade from official sources. While some issues may be minor to others, they affect residents daily and it is important to show them.”

Some viewers advised the resident to contact the town council using the numbers displayed at lift landings, while others pointed out that such issues are common in new estates and could be caused by electrical faults.

“People on social media are not going to fix the problem for you,” one netizen wrote.

Still, the OP pressed on, sharing more frustrations — this time about trash buildup around the estate.

One photo of a void deck shows cardboard boxes, garbage bags, and assorted rubbish piled beside a green dustbin.

“Frequency of clearing rubbish is slow. Might be an upkeep or maintenance issue, but largely a residents’ attitude issue. Plenty of inconsiderate people living here,” the OP wrote, adding that rats could be spotted running around the area every night.

Another photo, taken at a floor-level waste disposal point, shows more cardboard boxes, food waste, utensils, papers, and plastic bags messily dumped in the shared space.

The OP blamed inconsiderate neighbours, writing: “Wonder why some adults think people need to clean up after them. Don’t even have the basic decency to dispose of their own rubbish properly — that’s literally the bare minimum.”

This time, netizens sympathised, expressing surprise that rats could already be found in a relatively new estate. Many agreed that residents should dispose of their cardboard boxes properly, not only for hygiene but also because such clutter can pose a fire hazard.

Others pointed out that the problem isn’t unique to Tengah — new estates often face similar teething issues. Some shared experiences of neighbours leaving rubbish in lifts, while others recalled the same situation when moving into their own newly built HDB flats.

Several said they addressed the issue by “naming and shaming” units whose boxes were left behind — some even complained directly to their town councils.

The OP’s third grievance concerned construction noise downstairs.

“I moved into Tengah mentally prepared for some level of construction noise. But for it to start at 8am sharp, even on Saturdays, is ridiculous. It goes on for six to eight hours,” they wrote, adding that they struggle to take meetings on work-from-home days.

They suggested that noisy works be avoided on Saturdays when most people are home or that construction start slightly later in the day.

Again, many commenters pointed out that the situation is not unique to Tengah.

“These are things you can’t control. Just put on headphones?” one wrote.

Another added, “Non-mature estates are like that. Need to build to become mature estate right.”

One simply commented: “Obviously will be loud lah, they’re building an estate, not Legos.”

Others explained that noise is a long-term reality for anyone moving into a new BTO project — a necessary inconvenience if residents want the benefits of new MRT lines and upgraded infrastructure. One Punggol resident said they endured similar noise for years when Sengkang was being developed. Another from Bishan noted that lift-upgrading works in their area are equally disruptive.

(As someone living in the East, this writer can confirm that lift-upgrading noise is indeed very loud — but also unavoidable when a neighbourhood is undergoing renewal.)

Overall, many agreed that issues like noise, cardboard waste, and messy common areas are common trade-offs when living in a new or developing estate.

So, do these problems only exist in Tengah — or are they simply the “reality” of HDB living, given that residents in other neighbourhoods seem to share the same experiences?

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